Wednesday Blog Hop -- April 26, 2017

Hi Stampers:   Welcome to our blog hop this week.  We were again challenged to use something we favor that is being retired.  One of my very favorite sets is Balloon Adventures stamps and Thinlits from the Occasions catalog.  Oh my, I was so sure that set would carry over to the new catalog.  I still think Stampin'Up! made a mistake in choosing that set to retire.  In fact, they even used the bow die on a sample that appears in the new 2017-18 catalog.  I told them, and also told them therefore I expect them to tell us they will carry over this set.  That is how much I like it.  However, I won't hold my breath that they carry it over.  I guess I better hurry and use it A LOT!

Here is the challenge picture, and then my challenge card:

On this particular card I used only the balloon thinlits, but I have used the pop-up thinlit both as a pop-up and as a cut piece on the front of the card.  I love the balloons, the sentiments, the banners, the dies, all of it!  Ugh!  So sad.

I also used this card for another challenge.  We were given a bunch of pieces in an envelope and asked to make something pretty.  The pieces were the dsp, the Washi, the ribbon and the little accessory.  I have to admit, when I saw those little snips I felt they were actually someone's trash.  I probably would have thrown that envelope away if I hadn't been challenged to make something.  Well, I looked at it several times and decided it was part of my favorite set, so why not add some cute balloons.  My card was born that way.  I really like this card, and am happy I was able to make something with all those little snips and snaps.   (snaps?  dribs and drabs?  oh well.)

You should have come to my blog by way of Liz's blog.  I know some of her favorites that are retiring.  I wonder which one(s) she used.  When you finish here, head over to Robbie's blogsite to see what she worked on.

See you soon
Sandy

Blog Hop Wednesday -- April 19, 2017

Welcome to our Wednesday blog hop.  Today we have been challenged to use something from the current catalog that is going to be retired and that we will miss most. So you have come to me from Liz's blogsite.   Today was a fun craft day with my friend Liz, who doesn't live close enough, but not so far that she can't get in her car and drive out to my mountain.  She is on spring break, and we just had to take at least one day to play with our stamps.  It is always a joy to have her come out for a visit.  Hugs to you Liz.

There are a lot of really great stamps, dies, and accessories, that are retiring.  I am going to miss a lot of them, but one that I will miss a whole lot is Wetlands.  I love the weeds and use them on lots of cards as an accent.  I love the little sandpipers because they are cute.  And I love the set because it is the easiest one to make a man card from.  The paper I used here is Serene Scenery, which is another thing I will miss.  I like the way that paper can be used as accent, or can be used as a scene to play as part of the design of the whole card.

Here is my card:


 

If you are a demo, then you know there are many beautiful stamps, dies, and accessories that will be in the new catalog for next year that we may love as well as the ones we are losing.  If you are not a demo, then you will have your catalog soon, and you will know what I am talking about.  Every year we say goodbye, and then we say a big hello to all the new stuff.

Continue to hop on your way to Robbie's blogsite to see what her her favorites.  I will see you next week with another favorite or two before the retirement takes place.  Be sure to order your favorites before they are gone. Have a great week.

Crafty Hugs,
Sandy

Hello Friends.  We are back with Blog Hop Wednesday.  You should have come from Liz's blogsite.  I haven't looked yet, and I wonder what she did.  I have not spoken with her, so I don't even know which bundle she used.

I used the Dragonfly bundle.  I think that is my very favorite bundle and I have used it a lot.  I am so happy it is not one of the retiring sets.  I usually don't buy too many bundles from the mini catalogs, but the Occasions catalog had so many good ones.  Ones that I was very sure were going to carry over.  The dragonfly stamp set is the only one of those I bought that is carrying over.  I am really bummed about the fact Stampin'Up! is retiring the majority of the Occasions bundles.  There are a lot of really nice ones!

So here is the card I made.  It is a fancy fold.  I can't remember what it is called.  Anyone know?  I want to say Z fold, but I don't think the Z fold has a cut out and stands.

You can see the cut out and stand portion a lot better in the picture below:

This past weekend I went to the Stampin'Up! local OnStage mini convention.  We all had a great time.  Any time you put together ladies whose main interest is paper crafting, a good time is had by all.  Stampin'Up! puts on a really good convention.  I came away with the new catalog.  We were the first to get the preview.  We also were the first to have the opportunity to pre-order some of the new stamps and other product.  So hard to choose what to get now and what to get later.  I did not order it all, but I did order all the new in-color items, so I will have the new inks and papers this Thursday.   There are some fun new stamps, and some fun new, and new to Stampin'Up! product.  Just wait until you get your hands on one of the catalogs.  If you are a customer of mine, you will be getting one.  If you are not a customer, and you don't already have a demo, contact me.   I'd love to be your demo.  The email address is over on the right toward the top.

Continue now to Robbie's blogsite.  Let's see what she has.

See you soon,
Sandy

Blog Hop Wednesday -- April 5, 2017

Hi Hoppers:   It's another week and another Wednesday blog hop.  The Sale-a-bration period has just finished and product has been retired.  Soon the Annual Catalog will retire and we will have a new one.   For the next little while we are focusing on things retiring.  To start, we have been challenged to use the retiring in-colors.

Here are the colors:

I thought about what I would like to do to represent the colors.  It would be easy, and very pretty, to use the colors in some type of floral card.  However, I decided to challenge myself a little more and decided not to use any flowers.  The next thing that came to mind was the cardstock or ribbons.  So I used both.  I used Tip Top Taupe cardstock for the base of the card (hmmmm....looks a little gray), and the next layer is Mint Macaron embossed.  The remainder of the colors are used in the ribbons.


I like the lacy ribbon and will be sorry to see it go. And I still have a lot, so I better get busy and use it up.

You probably arrived here by first hopping to Liz's blogsite.  When you finish you should hop to Robbie's blogsite.  Hope you are enjoying your hop.  See you soon.

Happy Crafting,
Sandy